Sprinklers Held Las Vegas Fire in Check
A two-alarm fire in a large commercial building downtown did relatively little damage Jan. 24 because the fire was in the attic area and was being held in check by fire sprinklers, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue reported.
Fire sprinklers did their job, preventing a Jan. 24 fire from spreading and possibly destroying a building in downtown Las Vegas, Nev.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue reported that the cause of the fire remains under investigation, and there were no reported injuries to first responders on scene.
The first call came in at 4:12 a.m. that there was an outside fire along the railroad tracks in the 800 block of W. Bonanza Road. Firefighters determined the fire was at the rear of a large commercial building at 835 W. Bonanza Road, that a set of wooden stairs at a back door of the building was on fire. Itt appeared the fire was outside the building.
But at approximately 4:30 a.m., a fire alarm was received from the commercial building at 835 W. Bonanza Road. Another fire unit was dispatched to investigate, finding upon arrival that this was the same location where firefighters were working along the railroad track at the rear of the building. Suspecting the fire might have spread to the interior of the building, a full first alarm assignment was dispatched to the scene.
The department's news release said firefighters forced entry into the building and found the building full of smoke and that the fire sprinklers were activated, which indicated a fire must be inside the building. A second alarm was then dispatched. When firefighters cut a hole in the roof to let smoke out, the interior quickly cleared of smoke, and it was found the fire was in the attic area being held in check by fire sprinklers. The fire was quickly extinguished.
According to the release, the fire burned the rear stairs, damaging a rear door and the attic/roof of the building. Damage was estimated at $100,000.
Fire investigators received information that shortly before the fire was reported, a woman was picked up near the scene by a private ambulance and taken to the hospital with burns. The person is homeless, and investigators a looking into whether or not that person has any connection with the fire.